Unrelated-to-books PSA of the Day.
Yesterday I was part of a group – man, there must have been 15-20 of us out there! – doing trail work/repair/maintenance on the mountain bike trails out at Memorial Park. This is a volunteer activity I find to be very important for a variety of reasons, the basic one being that those of us who USE trails – mountain bike, hike, run, walk dogs, etc. – have a responsibility to keep them in good shape. There’s also the political fact that cities, counties, private landowners, or a variety of governmental bodies that house our trails are MUCH more likely to allow us to continue, and maybe even give us new trails, if we’re respectful, responsible users. It’s just a basic concept that you should clean up after yourself, and trail usage necessitates trail maintenance. (I’ve written more on this topic here.)
Yesterday, we were involved in quite a big project, armoring some 20 feet of trail that has been a constant mudpit since Hurricane Ike. It was hard work and involved heavy lifting and extensive digging. It was really GREAT to be part of such a large group; the small turnout I’m more accustomed to just wouldn’t have done it. I’m glad to be a part of these things and don’t regret the sweat (or occasionally the blood) I leave behind. It makes me feel good to be doing my part.
But I was disappointed to hear that several of my friends/riding buddies/fellow racers were out there yesterday riding the trails which were CLOSED due to conditions. When trails are wet and we ride or run or walk them anyway, we do further damage, thus necessitating more of my, and my cohorts’, sweat and blood. It’s a very simple concept, and especially the serious rider-racers I have in mind definitely do know better.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, friends.
PLEASE DON’T
RIDE CLOSED
TRAILS.
(the Husband's portrait of me on break)
Thank you. 🙂
Now get out there and enjoy your outdoor world!
pagesofjulia 
[…] 5. Memorial Park! Almost double the size of New York’s Central Park at 1500 acres, Memorial Park offers tennis, golf, road cycling, running, swimming pool, fitness center, mountain bike trails, an arboretum with nature and birdwatching tours, sports fields and playgrounds – and it’s central. I feel incredibly lucky to have a park of this caliber right smack in the middle of my hometown – which is why I give money to the Conservancy and volunteer there doing trail maintenance. […]
[…] put in my application that I wanted to give books away at Memorial Park, because it’s a space I love and sees high pedestrian traffic. But I’ve been […]
[…] many things to love in this book; where to begin? As a sometimes volunteer trailworker myself, I don’t pretend to know 2% of what Christine does; but I might know just enough to […]